Have you been missing live music the last few months? Well, then you’re in luck! The Moab Backyard Theater in downtown Moab, was among the first live music venues to reopen in the entire USA, hosting a lineup of local acts Tuesday through Thursday.

Once a person develops symptoms of COVID-19, it has likely already been days since they started unknowingly spreading the virus. As such, local health officials want to expand testing locally for the coronavirus.

Arches and Canyonlands national parks will partially reopen to the public at the end of the month, according to a spokesperson for the parks, following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local public health authorities.

Public submissions to The Times-Independent can range from press releases to obituaries to feature stories and news. All submissions are subject to editorial review and approval.

Bicyclists come from around the world to experience the many Moab-area paths and trails. The League of American Bicyclists has recognized the City of Moab and Grand County.Photo by Doug McMurdo

On May 14, the League of American Bicyclists recognized Moab City and Grand County with a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community award, joining 475 communities across the country in building better places for people to bike. With the recent announcement of 39 new and renewing BFCs, Moab joins a team of communities that are transforming the American landscape and leading on livability measurements important to community members, said a press release from the organization.

“We applaud communities like Moab for making bicycling a safe, comfortable, and convenient option for transportation and recreation,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “We are inspired by leaders who see bicycling as a way to build more vibrant, healthy, sustainable and connected communities and be a part of the solution to many complex public health and safety challenges faced at both the community and national levels.”

The group’s Bicycle Friendly America program sets a standard for how communities evaluate their quality of life, sustainability, and accessibility, while allowing them to benchmark progress toward making biking better. With this latest round of new and renewing awardees, there are currently 475 Bicycle Friendly Communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Silver BFC award recognizes Moab’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investments in bike infrastructure, education programs, and promoting and encouraging bicycling through events and pro-bicycling policies.

More than 800 communities have applied for recognition by the program, which provides a roadmap to making biking better for communities of all shapes and sizes. “The rigorous application process is an educational tool in itself, and includes an opportunity for local bicyclists to provide input on their experiences and perceptions of bicycling in their community,” said a statement from the organization.

The five levels of the BFC award – diamond, platinum, gold, silver and bronze, plus an honorable mention category – provide an incentive for communities to continuously improve. Awarded communities must renew their status every four years to ensure that they not only maintain existing efforts, but also keep up with changing technology, national safety standards, and community-driven best practices, according to a press release from the organization.